Into Her World
by supernova316
Summary: Chloe believes that some things are better kept secret. But how can she expect another to keep her secret if she has been unable to keep it to herself?
1. HIDDEN

**A/N: I don't own any of the characters. Sharing this since I have all the time in the world.  
**-astral (ao3)

* * *

PROLOGUE

Her fists were balled up, her teeth clenched so tight that it hurt. The nurse around beside her remained standing like a statue. She tried not to think about it. She wanted to keep it in until she got home. Losing control in the hospital wasn't Beca Mitchell at all.

She wished for a single peaceful day. No fighting. No violence. Just a dreamless sleep.

She was done with pretentions. She clutched the white sheet that covered the body in front of her, almost so forceful that the nurse had to pull her back out of the room. The moment she stepped out of the door, she took out her phone for the first time in three days. She ignored the flooding messages and missed calls and pressed 2 on the speed dial.

It didn't take her one full ring for the other side to answer the call.

_"Beca, are you alright? I've been so worried about you!"_

Beca convinced herself that she wasn't going to cry. Not now. But hearing Chloe's voice at the other end of the line snapped her back to the harsh reality she wanted to avoid. She decided to call Chloe, of all people, because she listens. Chloe listens. And Chloe understands.

Beca took a deep breath. With all the self-preservation she had left, she almost choked her words, "Chloe, please, I need you."

* * *

There were three things in Beca Mitchell's mind as she walked away from her little picnic date with Jesse Swanson.

One. She and Jesse weren't passionate. Singing to her in a cab was a sweet little thing but Beca couldn't help but fear a little for her immediate future if she's spending it with him. Jesse was a catcher. He knew his stuff and he was getting to know hers. But he was always around her, following her, finding ways to make her smile, and a whole lot of flirting. That wasn't passionate at all, or even real. She was just another girl-experiment for Jesse. Beca was smarter than he thinks.

Two. She still couldn't believe that she was in an all-girl a cappella group. And that they were competing for the Regional's next week. Their little group of misfits actually won in the preliminaries. Beca liked singing in the shower but other than that she's pretty convinced that singing isn't her passion. It was DJ-ing. So why was she even in the Barden Bellas if she didn't like to sing?

Three. It was because of Chloe Beale. It was because of her that Beca joined the Bellas. It was because of her that Beca was starting to question her sexuality. When Chloe barged in while she was about to shower stark naked and sang Titanium with her, Beca felt that unfamiliar pull. It wasn't normal and she knew it was wrong. But it was because of her, Chloe Beale that she was walking away from Jesse.

"Hey, you made it." Chloe beamed as Beca got in the gymnasium, the Bellas' lair. "I thought Jesse was going to steal you again."

"We'll see if he can." Beca sighed and laid her things aside, trying not to think about her shower scene with Chloe a few weeks back. She figured it would take months to take it off her mind. While she was in her normal tough-girl-jacket-jeans-boots look, everyone else was in their gym attire. "We're doing cardio today?"

The rest of the Bellas, all clad in tank tops, thin jackets, jogging pants and rubber shoes, turned to her.

"Did you tie him to a tree?" Fat Amy asked, poker-faced.

"You swore an oath, Mitchell." Aubrey stormed from across the gym, her eyebrows furrowed.

Stacie just arrived in short shorts, unnecessarily shaking her hips as she made her way to the center of the gym. A smile spread on her face when she saw Beca. "I never thought you'd do that, Beca." Her smile turned to a smirk. "You're tough to get."

"What?" asked Aubrey. "Stacie, don't interrupt."

"Oh, she didn't tell you?" Stacie raised a sharp eyebrow. "Beca slapped Jesse a while ago."

Lily, who stood not far away, mumbled something. No one heard her.

Chloe cocked her head to the side, arms crossed over her chest. This was getting interesting.

Beca shot her a look, as if everything she had done was with her consent, as if she wouldn't do it if it wasn't because of her. "Okay so, I dumped him. He tried to kiss me. End of story. He won't be bothering me or anyone of us."

Aubrey pinched the bridge of her nose. "Okay, too much drama. We're wasting time. We should be starting our cardio now."

Their cardio workout and practice went on for hours. And Beca was sure that Chloe's smile never faded in that entire afternoon.

"Last time I checked, this is Bellas territory." Aubrey marched to the gym entrance as the maroon-jacketed Trebles tried to invade their private space. "What are you doing here?"

Bumper and Donald went in nonchalantly. Bumper winked at Fat Amy as he passed by. They zipped past Aubrey.

"Aca-scuse me?" Aubrey fumed. "How dare you ignore me?"

The Bellas looked at each other.

"As much as I loathe going in this estrogen-toxicated lair, we need to talk." Bumper's grin vanished, his dark eyes intent on the redheaded Chloe as he approached her. His fists were balled and he spoke between his clenched teeth. For one second, he looked like he was going to smack her in the face. "Whatever it is you're doing, you need to stop."

"Hey, we're working out here?" said Cynthia Rose.

Beca stood up instinctively. She waved her hands. "No Bumper. You, need to stop."

Donald's face had gone serious too. His dark complexion was scary under the bright lights, his brooding eyes glaring at Beca as he blocked her way to Bumper. "You don't have anything to do with this."

"I didn't go to your place walking around asking for authority."

"How indecent can you guys get?" Aubrey rolled her eyes. She pointed to the entrance. "Go back to your place or find some other place to bother. That way you won't get in our way in the Regional's."

Bumper turned to her. "Just give us a moment, Aubrey. Chloe and Stacie. Then you can go back to pointing your fingers trying to find a sign that will never be found as long as we sing."

"What's with the scary frat boy talk?" Fat Amy interrupted.

Chloe and Stacie stepped out.

"It's okay. We'll talk." Chloe sighed, her electric blue eyes darting from Aubrey to Beca to Stacie to Fat Amy to the rest of the Bellas… and finally to Bumper and Donald. "Outside."

Beca watched with suspicious eyes as Chloe and Stacie led the guys outside. Aubrey called the rest to continue with their cardio, not even bothering to call them back. Beca tried not to think about what her instincts were telling her. She had always known Bumper and Donald as the goofballs. And she can tell right now, that they weren't just the same a cappella singing jerks she had known.

So what was the holdup? Why all the scary intimidating demands of Bumper and Donald?

"Bumper thought we _stole_ his chem lab manual." Stacie said nonchalantly when they came back. This time, the guys were gone.

"Did you?" asked Cynthia Rose.

Stacie rolled her eyes. "Of course not. Lab manuals were passed last week. We couldn't have stolen it." She winked at Beca. "Even if we wanted to."

"Do you share a lot of classes?" asked Beca, her eyes hovering to Chloe who hasn't said a single word, to Chloe who found Beca's all-purpose boots fascinating.

The redhead snapped out of her trance, blinking a couple of times. "We… uh… have advanced chem together and history."

"Okay enough of the drama. Let's get back to work." Aubrey forced a huge smile, clasping her hands. "We don't want to waste any more time."

Beca's eyes followed Chloe and Stacie, passing it as a normal thing to do. Stacie was still the sensual, seductive hip-swaying Stacie. Chloe on the other hand, was disoriented. She would space out, and jerk her head all of a sudden with a small frown on her lips, as if she was solving a puzzle in her mind and not doing it right. It troubled Beca, even if Chloe told Aubrey that she was just dizzy from not getting enough sleep last night.

"Hey," Beca caught up to her after the afternoon session.

Chloe turned to her. Their eyes met, an unspoken connection bridging the gap between their thoughts. The more Beca stared at her face, the more she saw the stress lines on her forehead, the more she saw the unnatural frown on her lips, the more she saw that Chloe wanted to tell her things but she could not.

"Did they scare you? Did they threaten you in any way?" Beca asked, because if they did, things were bound to get worse. "We can't let you be bullied by those jerks, Chloe."

Chloe smiled, though Beca couldn't exactly tell whether she was forcing it or not, it looked both. "Beca, I'm fine. Bumper just wanted his lab manual back."

"That's taken care of, wasn't it?"

"Yes."

"Okay…" Beca shrugged, her eyes spotting the fork on the left to the radio station. She had to work overtime today, considering that the practices were getting in way of her CD stacking duties. "I'll just… go."

"Take care and um…" Chloe nodded. She still had the confusing almost painful smile on her face. Beca wanted to ask what was wrong but she didn't have the authority. Not yet. Until she earns the right to ask Chloe of her personal feelings, Beca was to stop prying. "Just take care, Beca."


	2. ROOT

This was it. The big day. The Regional's. Beca Mitchell was miraculously looking forward to this day. She got up early, showered thoroughly (her Titanium scene with Chloe still looping in her mind over and over again), and gave Kimmy Jin another shot at roommate-friendship.

"It's the Regional's today and I'm not excited. I'm just ecstatic." Beca smiled uneasily, fixing the yellow scarf around her neck. Her eyes were on the broad expanse of Kimmy Jin's insensitive back. "It will start in the evening so I still have time to visit my dad and stop by the radio station before the competition starts. Hey— Why am I even telling you these things?"

Kimmy Jin, with her eternally silent and boring demeanor, went on with adding golden leaves to her miniature golden prosperity tree. Everything about her was east Asian, her squinty eyes, her flawless skin, her dark flowing hair, and Beca didn't have a problem with that at all. Kimmy Jin was actually cool. Beca doesn't normally reach out to people but with her, she at least wanted them to be on speaking terms.

When Kimmy Jin didn't budge after a couple of seconds, Beca took a deep breath. She swung her bag around her shoulders and went out. "Thank you for wishing me good luck. Have a great day, roommate."

With the depressing Kimmy Jin experience, Beca made up her mind to go and visit her dad just for the sake of seeing their house. It had been two months since she last went home. She'd occasionally bump her dad in Barden but seeing their house was another thing altogether. It wouldn't hurt to remember her childhood.

Beca sat in a cab, in her navy blue flight attendant performance uniform, earphones plugged in her ears, busying her thoughts with the latest remixes she had done over the weekend. Her eyes found solitude in watching the skyscrapers outside the windows. It gave her the feeling that everything just comes to pass.

_Beep._

She dug her pockets for her phone and to her surprise; there were a lot of unread messages. The first one came from Amy.

_We're gonna own the stage tonight. Spotlight will be on my awesomeness, but, yeah… Let's kick the Treble's non-existent asses! Go Bellas!_

Beca rolled her eyes, a smile forming on her lips. Typical Amy. The second one came from Aubrey.

_5pm SHARP. There will be NO late excuses. See you later._

Beca had already laid her schedule out weeks before. She'd be at home from 10am-1pm, then she'd go back to Barden. By 2pm, she'd pay Luke, their senior deejay, a visit and stack some CDs while at it. By the time she ends her work shift at 4pm, she'd be meeting up with the rest of the Bellas. By 7pm, the Barden Bellas will be going up on stage to sing the crowd's hearts out.

The next message came from Jesse.

_If you want a moviefication, I've got the best movies here. I'm still open for friendship or whatever you want. Good luck to us later._

Beca ignored it and read her last message. It was the latest, the one that triggered the _beep_. It was, of course, Chloe and Beca had to remove her earphones from her ears at the shock of the length of the message.

_I've been finding you ever since this morning. I went to the radio station and you weren't there. Then I heard from Kimmy Jin you're going back to your house. Why is that? Aubrey's calling for an emergency rehearsal. Can you make it back in an hour? It's not too late to turn around. Life will be better. Or so I say. Maybe. Maybe not. Call me when you get this. I have something important to say._

Beca quickly replied. _You're so weird._

Of course, it was Chloe. They've exchanged long senseless messages before. But this time she noticed, Chloe's senseless ramblings lacked credibility. Surely, she must've received her bestfriend's text of meeting at 5pm.

Beca pulled the cab over to stop in front of her house. Her family was rich. It was basically the reason how she got all the Apple merchandise. Well, her family was rich alright. _Was_. Last year, her parents got divorced and her mother got the upper half of all their shares. Considering her father was a teacher in Barden, it was very practical to get Beca to study there for free.

_Beep_. Beca barely glanced at the message before she got in.

Baked cookies, lazy Sunday afternoons, pruning the garden… Every memory of her childhood seeped back in her mind. She missed watching The Simpsons with her parents on weekends. She missed the smell of pancakes her mother would make every Thursday. She missed everything about the house—light colored walls accented with warm honey, the furniture all made out of mahogany, the unused fireplace silently sitting at the end of the living room... The Barden dormitories could never compare to anything about her house.

This was everything Barden wasn't. This was home.

A loud creak came from upstairs. Beca called aloud. "Hello? Dad, are you here?"

No response. Beca tiptoed her way to the spiral staircase, looking up above. The loud creak came again, and her hand found the antique baseball bat resting near the couch. "If I find out that you're a thief, I'm going to be sure that you'll be in prison for at least half your lifetime!"

The creak resounded against the corners of the house. Beca found every reason to make a run upstairs, the baseball bat tight in both of her hands. Broken shards of glass decorated the staircase. Her throat ran dry at the sight of rivers of maroon dripping from the top of the staircase.

_Beep._ But Beca had no time for messages. Someone had broken in their house. Scared. She was scared.

Beca couldn't remember what part she saw first. Her mind was too fogged, too excited for the Regional's, too unfocused to believe what she saw. But she knew that she had seen her father sprawled on the top of the staircase swimming in his own pool of blood, his hand keeping the door to her room open, the one that made creaking sounds. That hand was outstretched and broken, the bones sticking out to the surface, piercing his skin. And as Beca tried to knock some life into him, she held him, held her father, held the man who chose her over money.

"No— no, dad, look at me. You're gonna be okay." She pleaded, her face contorted in both fear and desperation. She felt her chest was going to burst. Her loud heartbeat vibrated in her head. "Dad, don't give up. Someone's going to help you. You're going to be okay. Just hang on."

Jonathan Mitchell, Dr. Mitchell to every student in Barden except for one, could not be saved. He knew he couldn't be. What happened to him was entirely his fault. Beca was just not lucky enough to have him as a father. He tried to speak, he wanted to. But everything was dimming. Light was being stolen from him, from seeing his daughter's face, from seeing the pair of eyes he lived for every second of his life. He was sorry.

"Dad, NO!" That and another train of words spilled out of Beca's mouth. She pleaded, she yearned, she begged, but none of it sufficed. She held her father as he died in her arms and time ticked slowly.

Tears, which she had become a stranger to, made their way through her eyes. The next thing she knew she was pulled away, stripped from the man that kept her alive to this day.

Tears, which she knew she was going to be acquainted with again, blurred her vision. People danced in front of her eyes, colors swirled, the world turned upside down.

Tears, which she wanted to stop but didn't, introduced her to a new kind of pain, one that she never thought would come to her all of a sudden, on the day of the Regional's.

Grief.

Another blink and it was in the middle of the night. Beca was back in the Barden dormitories, sitting on her bed, still wearing her flight attendant uniform. She took out her phone and read the messages she didn't have time to read a while ago. She started reading from the oldest message, the one that came to her when she first stepped in her house, to the latest.

_Beca, I know I'm weird and I know you're reading this. Please call me. This is urgent. I need you to call me._

_We don't have time. Please, listen to me for once. Turn and go back to Barden. I'm pleading. You can let me do whatever you want. I promise Aubrey will excuse you from cardio. Just turn back._

_BECA DON'T GO IN YOUR HOUSE_

_I CAN'T FIND DR. MITCHELL TELL HIM HE CAN'T GO INSIDE THEY'RE IN YOUR HOUSE_

Chloe's flood of messages might have meant something more sinister, something darker. But Beca was in no condition to deal with the unknown as of the moment. Here comes a nice day, one of Beca's few happy days… She had been actually excited—thrilled at the thought of performing again with the Bellas. This day, Beca's happy day, had to be her father's dying day. Her father, whose body was almost tattered with gun shots, whose entire left hand was crushed, whose voice couldn't be found even in the last moments of his life, was killed.

"This is real, isn't it?" Beca stared in the darkness of her room, her eyes stinging. "I'm alone."

"You're not alone. We're all here for you, Beca." Chloe whispered back, her hand rubbing Beca's shoulders, pulling her close. "You're not alone. I'm here. Aubrey's here. Kimmy Jin even stayed for you. You're going to be fine."

Beca's thoughts were in disarray but she had enough self-preservation left to keep her from breaking down. She was strong. Her father would have wanted her to be. She wasn't even planning on letting him down.

"This wasn't random, was it?" She asked. She knew the answer before she asked but when something you expect happens, things become scary. "This wasn't just an accident."

A few seconds passed before Chloe muttered. "No."


	3. SURFACE

She paced back and forth, biting her nails. Over the course of no more than eighteen hours, she never thought she could feel all emotions in such a short time span. Well, she was busy running errands everyday but yesterday was one heck of a roller-coaster ride.

"You can even bite your fingers off but it still won't change anything." Stacie leaned back on the leather reclining seat, drying her nails. "Just go for it, Chloe. Protecting her will be very difficult if she won't allow you to. Do it."

Chloe froze for a second and turned to her. "For someone pretending to be my junior, you sound very unconvincing."

"Reality check, I'm three months older than you." Stacie cringed at the unequal layer of glossy coating on her left nail. "Damn. Aubrey can you do my left thumbnail again?"

Aubrey rolled her eyes and got up from the couch. "Why don't you ask me to call you Princess while you're at it?"

"Okay. Call me Princess."

"Don't even bother." Aubrey crouched down and polished Stacie's nails again. Since last week, Stacie had been living in their dorm room because she thought it would be more appropriate. When Aubrey turned her offer of swapping rooms down, she simply crashed in. And as much as Aubrey wanted to kick her out, she didn't have the authority. Plus, Chloe sided with Stacie. Even if she was her best friend, Chloe was bonded with Stacie in entirely different level. "You are not getting Beca Mitchell dragged in your mess."

"Since when did you take a liking to Beca? Is this a change of heart?" Stacie chuckled.

"She doesn't have to be a part of this." said Chloe, who was now walking in circles. "She has a choice. Everyone has."

"She's already in it." Stacie shrugged, a sly smile on her full red lips. "Aubrey, if you ever change your mind, I'll welcome you with open arms."

Aubrey turned to her. "I'm around you, but I'm not in your mess, Stacie. I got away from your evil clutches and I will, again, if I need to. Beca's just a girl. Let her be."

"She's got spikes and spunk. She's tough and she slapped Swanson on his first attempt to kiss her. And don't forget she's the Bellas most influential member."

"Aca-scuse me? I am the most influential member. I run the group."

"And Beca's slowly inching her way to your throne. She'll take over sooner or later." Stacie rolled her eyes. She turned to Chloe who was going mental in front of Aubrey's enormous mahogany dresser. "The timing we have now is almost perfect. Jonathan Mitchell is dead and we can use Beca fueled sentiments and turn it against them. And when we have her, our chances will be as clear as crystal. Easy breezy."

"I can't believe I'm putting nail polish on the toes of the world's sadistically sensual Princess." Aubrey muttered, sighing.

"I like the way you say Princess." Stacie giggled. "It's like you almost mean it. Oh, and sensual. You said sensual."

Aubrey had it. She laid the glossy nail polish on the floor and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

"Give her a break, Stacie. You don't want her throwing up on your lower body." Chloe groaned, her eyes following her feet as she paced endlessly. "We've got more serious problems to deal with."

"Then what are you waiting for? Do it!" Stacie said. "I don't know why you've become very concerned of Beca but if you want to help her, you have to let her be in this mess or whatever it is. If you don't want to sacrifice her innocence, she'll be forever searching for her dad's killer without having a chance of truly knowing who it was. It would be like you'll be leading her on for the rest of her life. So why not do it?"

"You know what happens when I do, Stace." Chloe sat on her bed beside Stacie. Her head throbbed from thinking of the endless possible endings her story will lead her to. "I don't want to risk my chances and drag Beca down with me. We barely know her, Stacie. What's her mother's name? Her middle name? Any siblings? Where did she go to school? See? We don't know much about her yet we've been debating whether to adopt her or not."

Stacie shook her head, chuckling. "I honestly don't care about her or her feelings, Chlo. I'm just interested in her because her history's tangled with ours. If I'm correct, which I always am, she's of valuable use to us. It's you who give her special attention. I don't know what you see in her, but I'm letting you decide."

Chloe went back walking back and forth again, a new trail of thoughts in her mind. Stacie was right. Beca Mitchell was no one when she came to Barden. When she joined the Barden Bellas, she was labeled as the rebel chick who could actually sing. But that was all.

What troubled Chloe was why was she so drawn to the girl. She couldn't just leave her alone. She was frustrated for not knowing what made Beca so attractive in her eyes.

It was a cold Thursday on Dr. Mitchell's funeral; Chloe was in an all-black cocktail dress under her light brown cardigan. The sun was hiding, dark clouds decorated the sky. The body was to be buried in the public cemetery; gray slates were all over the place. A huge white tent would cover them from the impending rain but it would not stop the wind from sending shivers down their spine.

Chloe, Aubrey and the rest of the Bellas stood behind the second row of chairs, in front of them, Beca's relatives. A lady stood in front of Aubrey who looked a lot like Beca; small built, tall-bridged nose and high cheekbones. If her sunglasses were removed, Chloe knew she had the same huge beautiful eyes as her junior's. Her hair, on the contrary, was darker, almost black, making her flawless skin stand out more. Gold rings decorated her wrist, a silver pendant of a bird hung around her neck and crystal gems stood on the rings on her fingers. She didn't speak to anyone so no one announced that she was Beca's mother but the similarities were too obvious to be just coincidence.

The funeral trudged on, Barden University students and faculties gave their eulogies, as well as Dr. Mitchell's brother. Beca's eulogy was simple. She just thanked her father for everything. She didn't cry. No trace of tear was seen beneath her dark sunglasses. Her eyes might have been reduced to a stinging red, but she didn't cry this time. She was past that stage.

After the ceremony, the lady that looked like her, her mother, more or less, approached Beca, who stood beside Chloe and Aubrey, who was clad in a black and white dress, the patterns of which resembled a chessboard. Before the lady got closer, Beca excused herself and walked away.

"She must've forgotten who I am." The lady said and Chloe stared at how she and Beca were similar, even to the voice. She extended her hand. "I'm her mother, Virginia Parker or Parker-Mitchell, in honor of my dead ex-husband. Serves him right for leaving me. That bastard."

Chloe cringed at how carefree she said that her husband was dead, like she wasn't related to him in any way. And to top all of that, Virginia's smile was still on her lips. That sadistic, almost cruel smile freaked Chloe. She didn't want to judge right away but she can't help it.

It was Aubrey who took Virginia's hand and shook it. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Aubrey Posen, and this is Chloe Beale. We're the leaders of Barden's all-girl a Capella group. Your daughter's a member of the best a Capella group in Barden University, the Barden Bellas."

Virginia's smile got wider. Her golden canine tooth glinted. "Leaders? Isn't there supposed to be only one leader?" She turned to Chloe. "There can't be three Queens when there's only a King. The King is dead, but the three Queens are still alive. I'm the original. I should be the last one standing. Am I right, dear?"

Chloe shot Aubrey a warning look. She walked them farther to the cemetery, away from the crowd. She, Aubrey and Virginia stood facing each other, in the middle of gray tombstones and slates. The cold breeze warned them of the impending rain.

"Are you going to take Beca?" Chloe asked, her eyebrows furrowed. "She isn't ready."

Virginia clasped her hands, her smile never vanishing. "Are you threatening me, child of Valery?"

"How did you—" Aubrey interrupted.

"I know a child of hers when I see one." Virginia scoffed, giving Chloe a disgusted look. "When I smell one. Beca is mine. I decide what to do to her."

"She decides for her own." said Chloe. "She doesn't even know anything."

"That's easy. I'll tell her everything she needs to know."

"That won't be necessary." Stacie stepped out from the shadows. Her velvet-black cocktail dress was embroidered with plush gold and diamond. Her dark hair was tied in a bun above her head, a golden headband serving as her crown. Her eyelids were smoky, her marble-black eyes glinted, and her luscious lips, a rich red, slowly curved as she smiled. "I'll tell her myself."

Virginia's smile vanished. "I didn't know you're friends with my daughter, Stacie."

"I am not." Stacie towered over her, just like how easily she towered over Beca. "Now tell me, why did you order Valor to kill your ex-husband?"

"What?" asked Aubrey.

"Why are you blaming Valor?" asked Chloe, eyes-wide. "We don't have evidence. Your word can spread as far as the Marfori's."

"Valor has every reason to kill Jonathan Mitchell." said Stacie, her eyes hard on Virginia who glared back. "They're power hungry, violent and fueled by hate. You could easily ask them for something like this and they'd do it happily."

"And your evidence?" Virginia smiled. "I'm sure you must have something to prove that I did all of this, that I want to kill Jonathan. Because if you'd ask me, I truly and endlessly love him."

"Love doesn't exist from the likes of you, old hag." Loud obnoxious laughter came from behind.

A click came from the bushes behind Chloe. She turned around to see Bumper and Donald, both in black tuxedos. In Donald's hand was a black handgun, pointed to Stacie. As soon as she sensed it, Chloe pulled her silver revolver from the inside of her cardigan and pointed it to Bumper.

Stacie sighed, and Donald's grip on his gun tightened. "And they couldn't just wait until we all get home. Do we need to do this now? My make-up took two hours, goddamn it."

Chloe inched closer to Bumper, her eyes darting from Bumper, who shrugged, Donald, who held his gun with two hands, Stacie, who was rolling her eyes, disappointed at how her make-up will end up, to Virginia, who stood from a safe distance, smiling and Aubrey, who was always in the middle of this, stood motionlessly beside Virginia.

Of all places and occasions, they choose to make a scene in Dr. Mitchell's funeral.

"I haven't seen your disgraceful lineage for a long time. This is a surprise turn of events." Virginia turned to Bumper. "You smell like rotten eggs, as always. Oh, you're in the same school as Valery? How interesting! Donald, it was obvious that you screwed Jonathan! You could've killed him in a head shot but you ended up tearing him apart." She laughed.

Donald's eyebrows furrowed. He pressed the end of his handgun hard against Stacie's forehead.

"Oh come on. Don't smudge my make-up." said Stacie. "Pretty please?"

Chloe aimed for Bumper's chest. So they did kill Dr. Mitchell. Even if she denied it at first, Virginia said it herself. Valor killed Dr. Mitchell. Donald was the inhuman beast who disgraced his body. Donald was the reason why Beca was in deep grief. Donald pulled the trigger, to end Dr. Mitchell's life and to start a new chapter to the never-ending list of history they all share together.

"We didn't agree on this." said Bumper. "We want our name clean."

Virginia grinned. "Your name will never be clean as long as you exist, boy."

Chloe wondered how long this encounter would last. She wondered if there was a safe way to get around this, with no one dying because Beca's too broken to suffer another loss and another twist in her life. Chloe's eyes found Aubrey's green orbs. Her best friend, who was always in the middle of it all, always finds a way to get out of whatever mess she gets dragged into. Chloe wondered how she did it.

When her eyes flew to Virginia, she caught the younger doppelganger hiding behind the nearest tree, behind Virginia and Aubrey. Beca stood there listening, watching, and judging everyone, judging Chloe, who held a gun.


	4. PIECES

Beca Mitchell's life was not hers anymore. Everything was going out of control. She knew it all started when Chloe Beale called her, explained what a Cappella was and encouraged her to join. Beca singing in a Cappella, that way beyond normal and when she joined the Bellas, her life took a new spin. Jesse hitting on Beca wasn't normal too. She never gets guys and it was a proven fact. When Jesse tried to kiss her, it just feltwrong.

Bumper and Donald asking for their lab manuals, her father's brutal death, Virginia showing up in the funeral, not crying at the funeral and after, the Treblemakers and Barden Bellas seniors pointing guns at each other, her simple attraction for Chloe Beale turning to uncontrollable infatuation even after seeing her with a gun—nothing was normal about those.

"Look, you don't need to know anything you don't want to know." Chloe pleaded, tucking loose strands of her red hair behind her ear. "You can walk away, move to another town, start a new life and forget everything that happened in Barden."

"Easy, huh?" Stacie winked at Beca, sipping her orange juice afterwards.

"Yeah, I guess I'll do that." Beca nodded, rearranging her thoughts. She shifted from her seat, an antique rocking chair. Stacie's house (a mansion, actually), was just a few blocks south of Barden. The University required students to live in the dormitory rooms they provided so she lived here and in the dormitories. The house was more than century years old. It's an ancestral house, to be exact. Beca couldn't absorb every piece of porcelain that lined up endlessly against the walls. "Well, no, not really. I'm already in this. Whatever you got, throw it at me."

Stacie grinned, raising a full brow. "See, I told you, she's got spunk."

Chloe took a deep breath, easing herself on the couch in front of Beca. "Okay, Aubrey?"

Aubrey was sitting around the dining table in the kitchen, a good distance away from the rest of them. Her chin was lazily propped on her elbow, her other hand busy from flicking the hundred and one channels of Stacie's flat screen dining TV. She mumbled. "Time to spill the lies…"

Beca bit her lips, her eyes intent on Chloe. "I'm ready."

"We'll I'm not really a freshman." Stacie started off, still grinning. "I'm older than Chloe and Aubrey. Not really that old, just by half a year from Aubrey and three months from Chloe. So by tradition, I am your senior, Mitchell."

"What?" It wasn't this kind of revelation that Beca was expecting but it startled her, in the least. "Why? Do you enjoy gaining academic knowledge that much?" The lasting impression Stacie gave her was the typical high-school semi-bitchy girl who loves sex and the E! Network more than anything else. "Wow. I'm starting to feel like things are really messed up around here."

"It is." Aubrey said, from the kitchen.

"Thank you for the introduction." sighed Chloe, looking up at the lady sitting on the armrest.

"No problem." winked Stacie.

"So we're going to take a trip down history." Chloe took a deep breath and turned to Beca. "And trust me, it won't be all unicorns and rainbows."

Beca glanced sideways. "I never said it'd be anything like that. Shoot. Bombard me with all this history. I can take it." Truth was she didn't know what to expect.

Chloe nodded. "So other than mafias and drug dealers, every country has numerous organizations, hidden from society. They outrank all other organizations, given the fact that they pledge their loyalty even after death. In Barden, we have three organizations, a—"

"Okay, you're telling me you're this mafia-drug-dealer-slash-assassination-slash-super- top-secret-spy group?"

"We wish." said Stacie.

"No, we're not that kind." said Chloe. "We're very territorial so our duty is nothing but protect Barden."

"You were pointing guns at each other in front of my mother." Beca's eyes darted from Chloe to Stacie to Aubrey in the kitchen. "And who's the danger here?"

"Questions will be entertained later. Just listen." When Beca nodded, Chloe continued. "There's supposedly one group every state in this country. But Barden's a rebel. Instead of one, Vancleave, one of the founding families of this town, Barden has three."

Beca was about to raise her hand. Stacie spoke ahead of her. "Yes, the groups are named with either people's names or surnames. It's traditional, plus it's cooler. Imagine having people referring to you as numbered agents, animals or single syllable names. Disgusting."

Chloe continued. "The leaders of the groups are royalties, the Kings and the Queens. Their lineage is passed down to their first-born to keep the organization's secrets and authority within their family. Decades ago, around 1920, when Vancleave was the only protector in Barden, the royalties gave birth to fraternal twins, Valor and Valery." She paused for a while. "Stories say that the twins were, initially, the best of friends and that they wanted to take over Vancleave as brother and sister. No one knows what started their feud but they grew up loathing each other. Valery and Valor became two separate groups, and Vancleave kept its silence up to this day."

"It's like Bellas and Treblemakers all over, I know." Stacie smirked. "Barden is prone to gender-related fights, even before. Valery's the chicks and Valor's the dicks."

Beca was nodding to every pause, her mind trying to fit the puzzle pieces together. "You, Aubrey and Chloe are in Valery and the Trebles are in Valor."

"Me?" Aubrey voiced out. "Never."

"It's just me and Stacie in the Bellas, who're in Valery. It doesn't mean that we have to recruit everyone in the group just because we're a part of it. Aubrey knows things, but she prefers not to get personally involved." said Chloe. "Bumper and Donald are the prominent members in the Trebles. Unicycle's a Valor too, though he's not much vocal about it. Okay, you can ask questions now."

"So Vancleave doesn't exist anymore?" asked Beca.

"They're still around. But they prefer to keep a low profile and not mingle with rest of the orgs. Their members are very low profile. Someone in Barden might be one of them. We'll never know unless they reveal themselves."

"About the Kings and the Queens…" Beca leaned back. "I'm not sure I caught that part. Do they remain in contact with each other? Do you get updated when someone gets recruited from Valor or vice-versa? "

"To keep the group alive, there should be either a King or a Queen or both, like Vancleave, to lead. Valor only has a list of Kings and Valery, a list of Queens. The leaders have been fighting over numerous matters ever since Vancleave disappeared to neutralize them. The ancient family feud goes on. I think it's natural, instinctive¸ even, for us to hate Valor." said Chloe. "Bumper's the next in line for the throne of Valor and in Valery," She pointed up at Stacie. "Her."

"Yours truly," She smiled.

"What?" Beca burst into a chuckle. Stacie, the once sex-addicted girl turned to be the heir of one of Barden's underground organizations. Beca's mind throbbed at the thought of her carrying heavy ammunitions. "First you're older than me, now you're the next Queen?"

"I'm a Princess, basically."

"We don't usually know if they recruit a new member but when you're a part of an almost-century old group like ours, we're to carry a symbol, a prestigious sign for all the other organizations to recognize where you came from." said Chloe. "We have these brands, somewhere on our bodies… which we can't show you because you're not legally in this."

"Yet." said Stacie.

Beca cleared her throat. "And the connection to my dad's murder to this is…?"

Chloe and Stacie looked at each other for one tense moment, silently arguing who was to break the news.

"Valor killed Dr. Mitchell." Chloe's eyes focused on Beca. "Donald did. We're unsure why, but we know it's him. It's them. Your dad must have gotten into a little rumble that turned into a growing fight. Patience isn't one of Valor's strong points. They get angry, they destroy. They kill for the shallowest reasons."

"Those violent dicks." Stacie said. "They shoot whoever they want to."

"Brutally? Inhumanly? Chloe, my father's hand didn't even look like anything when I saw him! Why— How could they do that?"

"Word gets around that they love to…" Chloe cleared her throat. She mumbled lowly. "…play first."

On the last words, Beca bolted up, holding her breath. "I'm not saying I'm leaving this but I need to think things over. Donald can't—as I've seen him, he can't kill my father. No. Maybe he did, or he was forced, I'm not sure. I need some alone time." She swung her back around her shoulders and spun on her heels, storming out. Her words came in small mutters as she walked away. "No, he can't. Donald can't…"

There was immediate silence in the house. Chloe and Stacie looked at each other.

Aubrey stood against the kitchen's doorframe, arms crossed over her chest. "That was too much."

"She needed to know the truth." said Chloe. "And the truth always hurts."

"Exposing her to the harsh realities of your society is okay but implanting biased anger to Valor just because you're in Valery is too much. You're not even sure it was really Donald or even Valor. Beca's mother could have just played you."

"Now you're siding with them?"

"I'm not even siding with anyone to start with. Don't manipulate Beca, Chloe. They can kill her immediately if they want to." Aubrey shook her head and went for the door. "Just be sure you're making good choices for her because I don't want to be the one cleaning up your mess again."

"Where are you going?"

"To Beca's. She doesn't deserve any of this."

As Aubrey reached for the doorknob, she heard the almost silent pulling of trigger before she fell. She couldn't even pull herself up. Colors danced in front of her eyes, her arms and knees wobbly.

"You're not going anywhere, Posen." said Stacie, twirling the small silencer between her fingers. "Beca Mitchell is already ours the moment she stepped in this house."

Chloe stared at her best friend as she crumbled to the floor, helpless; her ocean blue eyes cold and hard. There was not a change in her façade even when Stacie ordered her to get Aubrey out of the house.

Being an eternal rival to Valery, Valor had been tolerable. But when they showed up in Jonathan Mitchell's funeral and carelessly exposed their secret to Beca, Chloe raged with fury. Because no non-member witnesses a confrontation of the organizations without ending up being hunted or being welcomed to the world of guns and roses. It was one of the absolute rules of the organizations. Now only Valor or Valery could kill her or recruit her. They just have to be the first one to get to her.

Chloe half-dragged half-carried Aubrey outside through the back door. She disappeared for a while and came back with a first-aid kit with small steel clamps and syringes of morphine.

"You shouldn't be helping me." said Aubrey as Chloe helped her sit on the small plight of stairs.

Chloe shrugged, smiling. "Now, you're telling me."

"No, Stacie was right." Aubrey flinched as Chloe examined the shot in her left leg. She glanced at the trail of blood she made on her way. Blood no longer disgusted her like it used to. Chloe getting bullets out of her was something she was getting used to, too. "She just didn't want me getting more involved in this. I honestly didn't believe I could talk Beca out of this either. And I can't recruit her. I'm not a Valery, Chloe, and I think Stacie's angry because of that."

"You're getting better at understanding Her Highness." Chloe stretched Aubrey's left leg, sticky wet with blood. It amazed her how easy she was getting used to all of this. She injected morphine and gave her a towel.

"You're still going to go after Beca, aren't you." It wasn't a question. It was a thought to ponder on. Aubrey bit the towel and braced herself.

Chloe shrugged, but her goals were already set.

Revenge on Valor. Make Beca Mitchell a Valery. Own her.


End file.
